


Keep Breathing

by little_werewolf



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-13
Updated: 2015-09-13
Packaged: 2018-04-20 13:40:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4789310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/little_werewolf/pseuds/little_werewolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve couldn’t breathe. Every breath he tried to suck in was burning in his lungs, and still he did it over and over again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Keep Breathing

Steve couldn’t breathe. Every breath he tried to suck in was burning in his lungs, and still he did it over and over again. His brain told him that he had to breath, no matter how hard it was. It told him that he had to fight to stay alive, no matter how much he just wanted to let go. It hurt so much, and he had reached a moment where he simply wanted to succumb to it.

He was usually so much stronger, but that day he just couldn’t. It was cold, and no matter how tightly he pulled the blanket around himself it didn’t feel like it was getting warmer any time soon. When he coughed yellow mucus came up into his mouth that made him want to puke. Bucky had left tissues, and a bucket before leaving. But Steve just hadn’t found the energy to move. So he had just swallowed everything back down and attempted to go back to sleep.

This had worked until some time later into the night, when the coughing started once more and Steve wanted to do nothing else but curl up into a ball and die.

“Shh.. it’s all right, easy breaths,” Bucky murmured from behind him, and Steve sighed as he felt strong arms wrap gently around him.

“Slowly does it, in and out, breathe with me buddy,” Bucky continued murmuring, and Steve simply tried to concentrate on his voice. He could feel Bucky’s chest against his back, the rise and fall of his chest, and Steve tried his hardest to match that steady rhythm.

“Good…good,” Bucky whispered after a while, and he sounded relieved. “Just keep breathing like that Steve, don’t stop.”

“But it hurts,” Steve replied, and he knew that he sounded like a small petulant child but he couldn’t help it. Everything hurt, and he just wanted the pain to stop.

“I know Steve… just hold on okay? It’s going to be okay. It snowed outside. The first real snow of the year. You can’t miss that,” Bucky said and Steve wished that he had some kind of strength to open his eyes again and look at the other man.

Bucky had always been there for him ever since both of Steve’s parents had died. He had been always been the support that Steve needed in times like these. Then there were those three unspoken words that had been hovering between them for a while now as well. The small kisses here and there, the soft and gentle caresses in the night, and the warmth of another man’s body against his own.

It made Steve wonder if he was still strong enough to hold on to all of that. If Bucky was ready to let go of him if the time came.

“But what…” and Steve coughed before he could continue, choking slightly as he tried to calm his breathing. Bucky was the whole time around him, holding him gently, murmuring soft words into his ear.

“What if…” Steve continued when he managed get his breathing under control again. “What if some day I can’t anymore?”

There was a short but heavy silence in the room, and Steve could feel Bucky’s hold tighten around him for a moment.

“Then I’ll be here, and I’ll hold you until you decide it’s time,” Bucky murmured. His voice sounded hoarse, Steve wanted to tell him to loosen his hold around him but he couldn’t. So instead he slowly turned around, curling up against Bucky’s warm body.

“Okay…” Steve eventually replied, feeling himself growing tired again.

“Get some sleep now,” Bucky murmured in reply. Steve smiled as he felt a kiss against his head, followed by a hand in his hair, the touch gentle and soothing.

When the next morning came, Steve smiled when he opened his eyes.


End file.
